Chelsea ‘offer’ England star who ‘won’t play again’ at Euro 2024 in ‘incredible’ swap for Barcelona Star Boy
According to rumors, Chelsea has made a player-plus-cash bid for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, which includes England midfielder Conor Gallagher.
Since Todd Boehly and his group took control the Stamford Bridge team in May 2022, the Blues have spent over £1 billion, but Chelsea supporters have not yet seen the results on the field.
Chelsea has already signed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Omari Kellyman, and Tosin Adarabioyo this summer, demonstrating their busyness in the transfer market.
However, it appears that the Blues are far from done making moves in the transfer market. At the end of the season, they hired Enzo Maresca as their new manager after Mauricio Pochettino left by mutual consent.
This summer, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, and Omari Hutchinson all left Chelsea, and there have long been rumors that Gallagher may be sold to assist the Premier League team comply with profit and sustainability regulations.
Furthermore, there are also rumors circulating in Spain that Chelsea has “increased its offer” for Barcelona center-back Araujo, reportedly in a “fantastic” trade for the Uruguayan international.
Barcelona president Laporta and Deco “are not at all closed to the prospect of transferring” the defender this summer for the proper price, as Chelsea “continue to insist on signing” Araujo.
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Boehly “hopes to reach an agreement with Barça to considerably reduce this cost, and has had the idea of including in the negotiations a star player who could be interesting for Hans-Dieter Flick, and is dispensable for Maresca.” The Catalan giants have “warned all his suitors that they will ask for between €90m and €100m” for Araujo.
Gallagher is the player that Boehly is prepared to trade for Dewsbury-Hall, who has signed with Leicester City. The England international “has run out of room at Chelsea, where he is one of the captains, and is keen to find a new challenge.”
Chelsea has offered €45 million in addition to Gallagher’s permanent services in an attempt to persuade Barça to let Araújo go.
After beginning the first two group games of England’s Euro 2024 campaign as a substitute for Danesh and Serbia, Gallagher was named in Gareth Southgate’s starting lineup for the encounter against Slovenia.
However, the Chelsea midfielder was substituted off the field at halftime during their 0-0 draw with Slovenia, and he later returned off the bench to play the final 14 minutes of extra time in England’s thrilling semifinal triumph against Slovakia.
Former Germany international Didi Hamann expressed doubts over Gallagher’s future attendance in the tournament prior to the match against Slovakia.
“Gallagher isn’t or wasn’t a problem,” Hamann stated to RTE. He is not the England team’s issue.
“It’s most likely too late now. Targeting the weaker players reflects poorly on the manager, and that is precisely what he has done throughout the competition.
Alexander-Arnold has fallen victim to him; he’s an easy mark. At the half, Gallagher leaves the game. Gallagher is probably going to be absent for the remainder of the competition.
